Littl From page 15 pointed with the weather. And because it’s not a fashionable month horels are not busy and usually come with lower rates. Australia is sunny and hor when we are wet and cold. It’s “the perfect antidote to our winter and one of the best all- round winter destinations. It’s also getting more accessible “and cheaper thanks to airlines such as Canada 3600 which - jmaugurated a new service from: Vancouver to Sydney yesterday. Published fares of » "+5$1,699 economy. and $3,000 -for Club 3660 business class “have been discounted to $799 cand $1,999 respectively. = Sydney is uncannily like °° Vancouver. with a beautiful :. harbor, outdoor lifestyie and ‘hedonistic population that enjoys good food and wine and superb beaches. From :* \ now.to March the weather is <> usually perfect. : ‘arther north is the mar- itime wonderland of the Great -- Barrier Reef but beware — it is humid. “New Zealand, which will be served this winter by both Air Canada. and Canadian Airlines, has temperatures in the low seventics from December to March, and “22S while it can be showery in the South Island you've got to go “there for the majestic scenery around Queenstown as well as "the charm of Christchurch. “2 Glen Archer, manager for . Canada for the New Zealand - Tourist Board, says the South Island offers tremendous vari- ety. He’s been skiing and then ‘sea-kayaking in shorts a few days later. He passed on a ‘geod ‘tip: -avoid the mid- ‘December to mid-January “s.. period when the island goes *<*"on holiday, rather like France in August.. He says a good . time to go is April. ; “New Zealand does not shave cnough people to. ever get crowded,” he adds, “but ‘at that time there’s nobody .. there, and rates are cheaper.” November is the time to _ visit Fiji, before winter humid- ity builds up. More Canadians will be dropping in now that Canada 3900 Airlines’ new flight to Sydney has permis- sion to offload and pick up passengers on southbound north shore news Photo submitted AN aerfal view of a Maui resort is enough to make you run down to your locai trav- él_agent. This month and next are ideai months to visit the Pacific Isiand paradise. journeys through Nadi. Tr’s amazing how few peo- ple do their homework before going alf the way to Bali only to discover that December and Jan are the wettest months of the year — by a long way! Mind you, it rarely rains all day and the heavy ‘showers can be quite spectac- ular, but I'd rather go in November, or February to April, when the clouds have gone elsewhere. Winter is a fine time for much of India, dry in the south after December and not too hot, while even northerly Rajasthan enjoys warm and sunny days, but cold nights. Caution is required for Indian ocean islands. Mauritius, for example, which relies on its .beaches, is attractive at this time but from December. South Africa is at its best when we're at our worst but don’t even consider going to Johannesburg (nor outside the airport anyway) unless you have a death wish or an armored car. Cape Town, on the other hand, is peaceful, historic and gateway to one of the world’s best wine-growing areas. The Table Mountain cable car should be reopening after ren- ovations, while the highlight of your visit will be Robben rainy Don't let a little rain stop your game! Take a Golf Vacation OQ Florida O Arizona O Nevada O California O Hawaii O Europe O Mexico O Cruises Golf Vacation Showcase Consumer show featuring golf packages, independent golf holidays and golf cruises Sat, November 22 11 am -4 pm Showcase at: Y FR? #106-100 Park Royal South (ground fioor black office tower) RSVP: 926-4344 B.C. Reg. No, 1060-3 Island, where President Mandela was detained. As the rand is one of the few currencies that can be exchanged for a reasonable amount of Canadian dollars, treat yourself to the Cellars hotel, a Cape classic, and the Plettenberg Bay Hotel, per- haps the most romantic in southern Africa. Hong Kong, as the world saw June 30 at the handover ceremonies, gets drenching tain in the summer and is unbearably humid as well, which used to mean that win- ter months meant high traffic and big bucks. Now that’s all changed, Air traffic to Hong Kong has plummeted and it may be because when Hong Kong, got rid of the British it lost its mystique and became just another big Chinese city. Allan Ngan of Cultural Tours in Vancouver, one of the biggest package tour oper- ators to the Orient, says busi- ness to Hong Kong is down 20%. The Icisure hotel market in Hong Kong, he said, is almost dead, and horeliers have dropped prices by up to half to try to fill rooms. Cultural Tours has responded by offering air fare to Hong Kong and six hotel nights, plus transfers and a city tour, for a remarkable $1500, but on one departure only (Dec, 2). : “We've never sold Hong Kong this lew before,” Ngan reported. Closer to home the winter trek to Palm Springs and Phoenix has not yet started in earnest aithough this is one of the best months to go. For example the biggest charter carrier out of Vancouver does not operate to Phoenix until December 18. However Alaska Airlines starts non-stop service from Vancouver to Phoenix November 5 with a $189 introductory fare. I was in Phoenix last November when the tempera- ture was 75 degrees, there were clear skies, no wind — and no crowds. At the elegant Phoenician Resort a spokesman said: “This is our secret month, a window if you will between conference sea- son and Christmas. The locals know the weather is always beautiful.” There are some discounted flights to Palm Springs late November and carly December for $399. Beware, however, that El Nind meteorological condi- tions are forecast to bring wetter weather to California, perhaps comparable to the devasrating deluges of 1982- 83. [t may not happen of course, but Palm Springs, LOW AIRFARES to Ute SOUTH PACIFIC $999 $100 AUCKLAND ples HAWAI .ssonu1225 ONE YEAR TICKETS VANCOUVER/COOK ISLANDS/AUCKIAND. SYONEV/VANCOUVER.......ssss000 L720 VANCOUVER/HONOLULU/BALI/BRISSANE se CAIRNSVANCOUVER.......$1630 FAT - 49 NIGHT PACKAGE, including dinfart, accommadtion....jp. $1799 BC, Regs2190-6 TRAVEL EXPERTS Call Arlene 926-8511 1716 Marine Dr. West Vancouver Sunday, November 9, 1997 — North Shore News — 27 which is close to Los Angeles, and San Diego should be treated with caution. The Pacific coast was recently lashed by a hurricane which tore into Acapulco, but its a different story on the Atlantic side. One traveller who took a cruise in October, when the weather can range from gorgeous -o gale-force, reports the hurricane season did not happen. Larry Dessler of Holland America Line, ‘which has a fleet of vessels in the Caribbean, said: “It has been a very light hurricane season in the Caribbean with . very good weather and strong demand for cruises.” Desster pointed out, how- ever, that now the company Dead le November rain on Hawaiian Islands washout fwo years ago. For Peru, arguably the sin- gle most interesting country, wait until May when it is nor too hot, not too cold, not too wet and not saturated with too many tourists. The grey coastal mist known as garua will have moved in by thigg = _tirme but up on the Inca Trai hiking to Machu Picchu the days will be sunny and dry. Editor’s note: David Wishart is taking his own advice and enjoying the good weather in Hawaii as you read this. has cight ships, including the - new Rotterdam V1 and a well- travelled clientele, passengers look beyond endless sunshine to stimulating itineraries such as the upcoming 16-day Rio to Valparaiso route around Cape Horn that will include a variety of weather from Copacabana scorchers to cool days in the Chilean fjords. If you’re heading to South America research the weather carefully for the southern hemisphere does not mean endless summer days. On the contrary the Rio carnival was a Established North Shore agency requires a senior or ; intermediate agent, preferably J with clientele, We are a busy Sabre/ADS equipped office that offers above average salaries, excellent benefits 8& incentive p' Apply in confidence to Donna Rose: Manager, ~g---- Roseway Travel, #106-100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver, B.C. V7T 142 Phone: 926-4344 (Day) or 926-9878 (Eve) B.C. Postcards from... ‘34%